Artemis Fowl And The Demigod Camp
by AnnaCromwell
Summary: Artemis Fowl finds out the truth about his parentage, and Annabeth Cromwell finds the world's smartest mortal as the child of the prophecy. What will happen when these two worlds collide ? (Artemis FowlxOC)
1. Bared Truths and Retrospections

Bared Truths and Retrospections

Artemis

I was looking through various articles and was still in disbelief. The Greek Gods did not exist. They _**could not **_exist. It went against the natural rules of science, defied every logic. I looked at the letter lying on my table. Camp Half Blood, Half Blood Hill, Long Island Sound, New York, the address read on it. Strange, it had no number for contact. Only proves this letter is a big fake, I thought. Inside the envelope lied a note, which read –

Mr. Artemis Fowl,

You have been granted admittance at Camp Half-Blood, which is a special training school for demigods like you, who are special people; who have a Greek Olympian god and a mortal for their parents. If you are unaware of this fact, then kindly contact your mortal parent first. If you do not have a mortal living parent, then please reach camp as soon as possible with the escort assigned to you, who may be a young man with a funny gait and crutches. Please make sure that person stays with you through the entire journey, and do not be surprised if they ask for cheese enchiladas and show staunch aversion to anything non-vegetarian or anti-animal acts or products, such as fur. If you are aware of the fact that you are a demigod but are unaware of your parentage, then I will make sure that you get assigned the right cabin in the shortest time span possible. If you are aware of your parentage too, then please make sure that you reach camp as soon as possible. If needed, an escort will be sent to get you to camp, no matter which part of the world you reside in. We are waiting to see you here at Camp Half-Blood, New York.

Regards,

Chiron,

Camp Director

"Camp Director, Chiron". Hah! I thought. Like this place could have a camp director. I would not be surprised if this place turned out to be nothing more than an arid piece of land, with only brambles as inhabitants. Still, I decided to go to my parents and ask them about it. They were sitting in the lounge, reading. I went and asked them about it, which made Father go pale and Mother enter her Overprotective mode. "Arty! Why were you to know this! Everything was going well. Why did you have to be claimed?" she said, sobbing. "Who, Mother?" I asked, hoping to find out about my godly parent, now that Mother had confirmed the news. "Well, son, let's say you belong to the Twelve & not to any minor gods. I was told not to tell you who your godly parent was and what, but all I know son, is that godly blood actually runs in your veins, mixed in the mortal Fowl blood of mine," Father said. I was in shock, unable to comprehend. I, a demigod? This all was true? All what the tabloids, the reports said, all of it was true? And Mother and Father too say the same? They do not refute the claims by this letter? Unable to react any further, I decided to go into my room and think it over. I remembered that the envelope contained something else too. A packet of something. I went up to my room and opened the packet to see 6 gold coins with the Ω on them. "Drachmas," I said. There was a note attached. 'These will be the mode of payment you are to use when taking a taxi from JFK to the camp at Long Island Sound,' it read. They were _**that**_ confident that I would come. And I was going to.

Annabeth

I looked in the mirror at myself, a different person looking back. After all, Annabeth Cromwell had changed a great deal. I was taller, thinner, skin so pale no one would believe I had played 20 capture-the-flags in the harsh sun and won every one of them. My eyes too had a sparkle I never saw on a daily basis. The grey looked striking against the black hair and the ivory skin. Who would say I was a daughter of Athena, the goddess of wisdom and battle craft? I had been called a 'delicate daughter of Aphrodite' the day I stepped into the camp boundaries. After all, I did not conform to the regular criteria of blond hair and grey eyes, which was a standard for every child of Athena. Only Annabeth Chase, my elder sister and namesake, felt that I was one of her siblings. It was only when I defeated the best sword wielder at camp and when the owl appeared above my head was when they believed. After that, a quest which I had successfully completed singlehandedly was added to my already long list of achievements. People started respecting me, considered my opinion. I had come a long way in 2 years. I was 14 on joining the camp, and had just crossed 16, 2 days back, on 28th Nov. It was a nice thing to happen, but I knew that the problems had only begun to come my way. I had been assigned praeteus of the camp, the leader & with that a host of duties and a personal room. Not that the Athena cabin was crowded. There were very few demigods in there. I headed to my bed to catch a good night's sleep. There was a very busy day ahead.


	2. Camp Half-Blood

Camp Half-Blood

Artemis

I woke up to the sound of Butler's voice. "Artemis, wake up. We're at New York," he told me. So we had reached. We landed on a private airstrip at JFK and took a car waiting for us. "Long Island Sound, The Strawberry Field Gate," I told the chauffer. He started. "Do you know the place?" I asked. "I know New York like the back of my hand, godling," he said, and turned to face me. That's when I realized the reason I was given drachmas.

"Will you take it in return for making us reach safely?" I said, showing him the 6 drachmas I had. "Only these, godling. You may not know it, but your godly parent is a strong one with a tendency to make your life Hell." "When was my life not Hell?" I murmured. "We're there," he said. This soon? I thought, then realized that the car had been travelling at a speed of 120km/hr. "I wish your life doesn't involve too many problems, but then, a hero's fate is never anything but tragic, is it?" he said as we got out of the car and then simply vanished with the car after he had taken the payment. I looked at the imposing gate of the camp, and the Greek structures that stood across the boundaries. "D'Arvit," Butler said. We both tried to enter, but the camp boundaries stopped him.

"Looks like only the demigod can enter," I said & told him, "Don't worry, old friend. I will be safe here. This is the safest place for my kind." He left reluctantly in another car waiting, for which I gave him the 3 left with me. "Pay him with this. He will not take anything else," I said as I gave the drachmas. Then I walked in.

Annabeth

I had taken down the first set of the simulator's dummy warriors. Now a 2 setter module came up, the first being the one with the sons of Hermes & the other with the sons of Ares. I started fighting, hair open, armorless. I liked it that way. Made me learn combat in real life situations, where tied hair and perfect armor may not be there. I ducked, slashed and stabbed with the weapon of my choice, a dagger. Swords were far too long and no use in a situation where close-quarter combat was required. Daggers were of use in any and every situation. So were knives, provided they were light. I fought away and kept fighting till the first set was not over, then started without a pause for the 2nd set. The sons of Ares was a tough one, taking in consideration the fact that I had set the difficulty level at 12, the highest one could manage. I finished that module too, totally involved in it. I heard the sound of footsteps and turned, my hair whipping in my face. What I saw took my breath away.

Artemis

I walked past the gaping campers, all of whom were wearing bright orange shirts with the camp's name on it. to one whom I felt would be useful in guiding me to the camp leader, or the praetor, as they called it. He was a boy of about 17 years, with blond hair and grey eyes. "Hello, I'm Malcolm, son of Athena. If you're looking for the praetor, then go straight to the practicing arena. Straight, then left from the dining arena," he said and showed me the way. "If you can't find her, come to the beach house building here. If you need any more help, come back here. I'll be here only. Anyhow, if you need any help and I'm not there, contact any kid with blond hair and grey eyes. They're all kids of Athena," he said. "Thank you," I said and left.

Feeling quite excited, I decided to jog till there & then broke into a run. I reached the arena, slightly out of breath, and saw that it was empty, save for a girl practicing there. Her hair was open and she had pale, ivory skin, the same as mine. Her height was just 2 inches less than mine and she was fighting against a hologram, doing a pretty good job. She turned around, hair whipping on her face and the face I saw took my breath away. I was transfixed; stunned.

Annabeth

I turned around to see him. At first, I thought it was Percy, back from his quest. But then I looked at him closely. He was taller than Percy, 6'2" at the least I could judge. Also, the way he was dressed indicated that he was not Percy. He never dressed in an Armani bespoke suit with a tie and Armani loafers, along with a Cartier watch. Besides, I knew who he was. He was, he _**had**_ to be Artemis Fowl II, the boy I had chased for so long. Being the only, the extremely intelligent, talented daughter of Alexander Cromwell, the Chief of Interpol, I, Annabeth Cromwell had been on his trail for the past 4 years, till the time I was carted off to camp, when Father died 'on duty' and Mother decided she could not live without him and committed suicide by taking a sleeping pill overdose. My younger brother, Niall, who was mortal, was left with my aunt Diane. My father had actually died tackling a fairy problem, in which a rather nefarious pixie Opal Koboi had taken help of a couple of Laistrygonian Giants to achieve her aim, which was thwarted by Father and he, in reward, received death from Opal's hands by getting the Giants to choke my father to death. I had helped the LEP in convicting her, but still, nothing brings back the dead. I received a letter from camp.

That was my cue. I decided to leave Dublin and come to New York with my choicest possessions and was mocked for the first few days due to the fact that no daughter of Aphrodite carries a book on _**wireless hacking**_ and _**security encryption**_ written by the _**chief of NSA**_. It was when I shifted to the Athena cabin was when they started respecting me for who I was, and for what I'd been through. Artemis was staring speechlessly at me, eyes full of fear of me. Presumably he expected me to catch him by the throat with a knife and threaten him. I walked up to him, knife raised. I was not sure of his identity, and hence this seemed like the safest option. I walked, scared myself, heart into overdrive. What if he _**was**_ Artemis Fowl? I remember my cabin mates teasing me over the fact that I had his images and voice scripts on my computer, which I often mused over. Once even Annabeth asked me, "Is that cute boy your boyfriend whose picture you're gazing at?" That left me red-faced. How anybody could think of _**us**_ two together beat me. And cute? He was _**cute**_? _**That **_was unbelievable. His vampiric smile left no scope for any innocence on his face. If he was a son of Athena, the secret would be out in the open. Then whatever relations I could've had with him too would go down the pits of Tartarus. I went ahead and approached him, scared of what reactions would ensue.

Artemis

I swear by my godly parent's name that the girl in front of me was the prettiest, most dangerous, not to mention the most fatal I'd ever met. If she was a child of Aphrodite, then she was most definitely a ferocious one. Although she looked like Athena, goddess of wisdom and battle craft. A younger incarnation, equally fierce. She could easily stick a dagger in your stomach by just staring at you with those eyes, and you'd be so dazzled that you won't realize what had happened. Never had I been dazzled like this by anyone in my life.

She practically stole my heart.

She walked up to me, dagger raised. She looked like she was going to rip my throat apart with that dagger. Her eyes had a wary and intimidating look in them. They also glittered with recognition. She acted as if she knew me. I was scared and intimated by those eyes, which were locked onto mine. She put her dagger hand down, staring at me, perhaps reading the fear in my eyes. I plucked up whatever courage was left in me and asked her, "Are you the praetor?"

"Yes," she replied. No wonder she fought that well. "Very well. I am Arte-"I said, when she cut me. "Artemis Fowl II. I know." I was even more shocked at the fact that she knew who I was. I looked at her while she shook out her hair and smoothened it with a comb she had apparently kept in her pocket. She was standing so close I could smell the scent of lily and lemon that was coming from her. 3 inches was the _**maximum**_ distance we were at. "Come along," she said, and I followed suit. I felt that was better than asking questions, for I never knew the next thing she would do would be putting her double edged dagger at my neck and forcing me to comply. It was as if she read my mind the opposite way and said, "I don't look intimidating at all, do I? Nobody expected me to be this good a fighter when I first joined Camp Half-Blood." She must be crazy to think that way. I looked at her incredulously. She looked ferocious. With that look in her eyes, I could easily say she was an Amazon. She stopped in her way, then extended a hand and said, "Annabeth Cromwell, daughter of Athena." I took her hand and shook it, and then went on our way.

"I don't look like one, do I? Just because I don't have blond hair and the stereotypical CA girl look doesn't mean I'm not a child of Athena. They first thought I was a child of Aphrodite, and then thought I am Roman. Just because I'm Irish & I belong to Dublin. You too are from Dublin, son of the Artemis Fowl I, the Irish business magnate and Angeline Holmes Fowl. Very distinguished, I must say," she said. Then realization dawned on me. I realized that she was the girl I had seen on the site of the Nobel Prize. She was the youngest recipient of the coveted award, just a year before me. I'd received it this year. Unable to keep that to myself, I blurted, "You're the one who beat me to the Nobel Prize, are you not? The youngest recipient, the daughter of the Emeritus Chief of Interpol, Alexander Cromwell?" "Yes, I'm that very incriminating human on whom you have every right to vent your anger. I was very angry when your project was chosen over mine for the Dublin Opera House and when you, Stefan Bashkir, beat me, Anastasia M. Sharapova in the international chess tournament twice. I got my revenge on you though, when I beat you twice in the following years, so we're even now, aren't we?" she said, laughing. How pretty she looked. Control your emotions, Artemis, I told myself. I cannot allow myself to be distracted by her. I do not know whether she is an adversary or an ally yet. So, to keep my hormones in check, I averted my gaze from my pretty guide and kept listening to the stream of information from her.

She is smart, I muttered to myself, at which she turned, amusement and confusion mixed in her eyes. It made them even more pretty. Enchanting, rather. The eyes one could drown in and never resurface – CONTROL YOURSELF, ARTEMIS FOWL II! THE HORMONES ARE PLAYING ON YOUR MIND! DO NOT LET THEM! I thought to myself, hollering at me inwardly. How could I let myself get carried away beat me. We'd come to a Frank Lloyd Wright and she said in an Irish – American accent, "Shall we?"

Annabeth

I swear by Athena's name that if I had ever seen a mortal more beautiful than a god, it was Artemis Fowl II. Jet-black hair, brilliant blue eyes, 6'2" tall, the epitome of grace and intelligence. If there was anyone who was close to my level of intelligence, it was Artemis Fowl. He could not be a mortal. No mortal was _**this**_ perfect. Yet he seemed to give off an aura that was not a god's, but certainly of one of the Big Three's children. He might be one. It may be Zeus who might claim him, or probably Hades. Not Poseidon. No, not at all Poseidon, I mentally made a note of it. Even though I had not seen it first, I was barely 3 inches away from him, the dagger hand down, eyes boring into his. First step of confrontation: intimidate the enemy _**so**_ much that they stutter while speaking their _**own**_ name. While he did not stutter, he certainly was scared when he spoke. Good job Annabeth.

"Are you the praetor?" he asked. "Yes," I replied. "Very well. I'm Art" he was on his way to say his name when I cut in and said, "Artemis Fowl II. I know." He was shocked to hear me say his name. So it _**was **_Artemis only. I was happy at handling the situation well. That is when I noticed that my hair was a nest of Stymphalian Birds and had to be smoothened at once. A thing about Athena's daughters: we're very particular when it comes to the hair. I only used organic lily of the valley hair gel to wash my hair. He was staring at me as I did my hair. "Come along," I said, and he followed suit. I was thinking that he had probably gone on my looks and thought I was a nonissue, so I said, "I don't look intimidating at all, do I? Nobody expected me to be this good a fighter when I first joined Camp Half-Blood." He was shocked and gave me an incredulous are-you-insane look. So he'd seen me at practice. I decided to go on and break the ice and extended a hand. "Annabeth Cromwell, daughter of Athena." He took and shook it, and then we continued on our way.

"I don't look like one, do I? Just because I don't have blond hair and the stereotypical CA girl look doesn't mean I'm not a child of Athena. They first thought I was a child of Aphrodite, and then thought I am Roman. Just because I'm Irish & I belong to Dublin. You too are from Dublin, son of the Artemis Fowl I, the Irish business magnate and Angeline Holmes Fowl. Very distinguished, I must say," I said, hoping to evoke some response. He blurted out, "You're the one who beat me to the Nobel Prize, are you not? The youngest recipient, the daughter of the Emeritus Chief of Interpol, Alexander Cromwell?" "Yes, I'm that very incriminating human on whom you have every right to vent your anger. I was very angry when your project was chosen over mine for the Dublin Opera House and when you, Stefan Bashkir, beat me, Anastasia M. Sharapova in the international chess tournament twice. I got my revenge on you though, when I beat you twice in the following years, so we're even now, aren't we?" I said, laughing at the end. He just looked at me, then averted his gaze. She is smart, he muttered to himself, at which I turned and looked, amazed and confused at his words. Artemis Fowl II acknowledging my intelligence? Great. We reached the Big House, which was a big Frank Lloyd Wright building.

"Shall we?" I asked in my normal accent, which was Irish – American. He complied and stepped in.


	3. The Introduction

The Introduction

Artemis

Annabeth lead me inside the building and we went out to a porch, where a centaur who looked like Foaly, only just more aged and wiser was sitting with a man who definitely looked hung-over. I asked Annabeth, "May I get to know who this hung-over man is, and what a drunkard's job is in a camp full of demigods." She looked with eyes alarmed. "Artemis, could you please hold your tongue?" when he cut in and said, "Leave it, Cromwell. Each child of those is just as mannerless,rude and uncouth like their arrogant fathers." She gulped and the sky thundered.

"Dionysius, this is not the right time to say this. You know what your father would say to such behavior," the centaur said. That is when I realized whom I had just abused and what he was capable of. The man sitting in front of me was the wine god Dionysius and if the myths were true, then he could change humans to dolphins. I apologized. "I'm sorry, Lord Dionysius." "No need for that, godling. Anyhow, good that you did, or I would've had to change you into an Atlantic bottlenose, albeit a good looking bottlenose," he said. "You're Chiron, the trainer of heroes, right?" I asked the centaur.

"Yes Artemis. I _**am **_Chiron, the one who has trained the hero Heracles. I train every camper here and make sure all of you unleash your talents and know their use before entering in the real world. You know, some of them here are lethal. You, for an example are very, very dangerous, Artemis. Just that you don't know how. Annabeth, for example, was called 'a delicate daughter of Aphrodite' on the day she stepped in this camp. Since then, you will not believe the damage this girl has caused during the capture-the-flags strategically as well as in combat," at that Annabeth blushed, and a pretty shade of pink covered her face. At that moment, I could visualize why she was called 'a delicate daughter of Aphrodite' the day she stepped in camp. She was that pretty to pass off for one of Aphrodite's children, and as mentally competent to easily be a child of Athena. As for her fighting skills, I could visualize the carnage Chiron was talking about. She could easily wreak havoc with one of her strategies and some quick and lethal slashes with her dagger. Beauty, brains and battle skills; that was the ultimate combination for a fighter, and Annabeth possessed all of them. How one survived against her was a mystery.

"Artemis? Are you all right?" her voice jolted me back to reality. She was looking at him with the eyes she had when I muttered. Confused, amused. "Yes," I replied to her, not to make a fool out of myself. "Well, for now, you must stay at the Big House, for the Hermes cabin is far too crowded and we have no idea of your parent. Annabeth, kindly take him upstairs. Oh, and assign him the camp clothes and a set of armor," Chiron instructed her to. She took me along her, past a couple of rooms and to a room up in the building. "Here's your room. Oh, and after you've washed up, please meet me on the porch," she said, and left. That is when I noticed that she was not wearing the standard orange t-shirt but a plain white one. She had a silver shrug on. Stylish. Well, she's Irish, after all. She _**has**_ to have a good sense of style. I went in and took a quick bath, then dashed down, eager to learn more about my new home, the one I actually belonged to. I dressed in a polo shirt and jeans, just to keep it simple, and paired with the only pair of Nike's I had. I looked at my wallet. Where the Euros should've been were half replaced with drachmas & a black card. I read the name on it. Olympus Express, it read. Not wishing to keep Annabeth waiting, I dashed downstairs and saw her on a call. I waited for her. Etiquettes, Artemis, I reminded myself. She finished with it and then turned to look at me.

"Oh, so you're ready. Come, let's go to the camp supplies," she said, then took me along with her. In the place of 'camp supplies' was an everyday looking store, but on entering, looked like I had entered a mall. We entered through the glass doors and went straight to the apparels section. "I don't need these," I told her. "I said the same when I came here first. Trust me, you wouldn't want your Givenchy's and Armani's ripped apart. I really regretted it. I ended up shredding the custom-made Prada and Chanel I'd got. I recommend you take these for sparring, sword practicing, capture the flag and any other camp activities. For the evening, you could wear normal clothes, but not suits, okay? You can't fight monsters in suits," she said, then threw me a couple of GAP's and Nike's. "Try for these, and if they fit, we'll get them billed and then get you shoes," she said, then headed to the women's apparel section.

I went to the trial room and tried them on. They felt comfortable so I went along. Besides, they were my favorite colors: White, black & grey, along with the blue of the sea and my eyes. I stepped out and saw her waiting. "Done?" she asked. "Yes," I handed her the neatly folded set of clothes. "Good. Now we get you shoes. Can you manage athletic Nike's?" she asked. "Like what?" I asked her. "Like the shoes worn by Usain Bolt. We've to be fast on our feet, so only top of the line for all. You pay with the card, which is unlimited. The Aphrodite girls love it," she said and then led me to the shoes section. It was lined with shoes ranging from racing to combat: there were shoes which were streamlined and shoes that had studs on the bottom; studs so sharp they will tear apart flesh the moment they touch you.

"Only the children of Ares buy those," she said, pointing to the studded shoes. "You'd want these," she said, and then took me to the set of black shoes kept on one side. "2 Size 37.5 European," she said, and a dryad (at least that's what I thought) rushed to get me those. She got the shoes and Annabeth signaled me to try them. I wore them and they fit. I was taking them off when she told me to stop and led to a door at the back. "Race me to the oak tree," she said, and without any other word, took off. I ran, not realizing I could run at the speed I was running. I caught up with her but she beat me with a quick burst and touched the oak tree, panting. "Good. The shoes must fit well. These are Achilles, made for making you a swift-footed demigod. You need to learn a lot in a short time, so we need to get you the best only. It wasn't like this three years back till the Battle of Manhattan, when the gods decided to give the camp a big techno makeover. The entire camp, save cabins & few of the structures, has been altered. The amount of construction that took place after the battle was tremendous. It was like reconstructing an entire city. My sister, Annabeth Chase, was an important part in the entire redesign of the camp. She designed the buildings and the money was all a provision made by the gods. The camp and Mount Olympus was remade from scratch in a span of a week. Impressive, isn't it?" she said, seeing my gaping face. A week was all it took to rebuild this camp & Mt. Olympus from scratch? That _**certainly **_was impressive. A couple of Aphrodite girls passed us, some giving me flirtatious looks and a few giving Annabeth evil looks. "Just because I send all of them for archery, the only thing these divas can manage without chipping their nail paint," she said exasperatedly.

"It's not easy being praetor with such drama queens, children of Ares and Hermes kids causing chaos in camp. They take whatever ATP is produced here," she said pointing to herself. I gave a weak smile. I NEVER want to be praetor with such people around Sure, I could manage Hermes and Aphrodite, but Ares? No; such brute strength could not be managed by me alone.

Again, how she did it was a mystery. Still, I went in, soaked in sweat from the 100m sprint I just ran. I took off the shoes, put my normal Nike ones & we headed towards the billing counter. She took her Olympus Express and paid for it. "Why did you do that?" I said, for I had my own card with me & was thinking of paying with it. It hurt my ego when she did that. "Artemis Fowl, you're not praeteus. Besides, I have 2 million dollars of my own on this card, so no pressure. My mother was Anna Cromwell, remember?" she said. _**Was **_Anastasia Cromwell? Her mother was no more? That pinched me. Father died on duty, mother too no more. Wonder if she has a sibling. Any family (immediate) left with her to call her own. It was sad to see that such a beautiful and talented young girl was an orphan, well, just orphaned. But how did it matter? Parents gone were parents gone.

And nobody could change that.

Annabeth

We entered the Big House and saw Chiron and Mr. D, a.k.a. Dionysius in attendance too. Artemis looked around, then, pointing to Lord Dionysius, said, "May I get to know who this hung-over man is, and what a drunkard's job is in a camp full of demigods." I looked, eyes alarmed. "Artemis, could you please hold your tongue?" I told him, trying to shut him up from further abuses being hurled by him. That was when Mr. D cut in. "Leave it, Cromwell. Each child of those is just as mannerless, rude and uncouth like their arrogant fathers." I gulped, and the sky thundered.

"Dionysius, this is not the right time to say this. You know what your father would say to such behavior," Chiron said. That is when Artemis realized whom he had just abused. The man sitting in front was the wine-god Dionysius. He apologized. "I'm sorry, Lord Dionysius." "No need for that, godling. Anyhow, good that you did, or I would've had to change you into an Atlantic bottlenose, albeit a good looking bottlenose," he said.

"You are Chiron, the trainer of heroes, right?" He asked Chiron. "Yes Artemis. I _**am **_Chiron, the one who has trained the hero Heracles. I train every camper here and make sure that all of you unleash your talents and know their use before entering the real world. You know, some of them here are lethal. You, for an example are very, very dangerous, Artemis. Just that you don't know how. Annabeth, for example, was called 'a delicate daughter of Aphrodite' on the day she stepped in this camp. Since then, you will not believe the damage this girl has caused during the capture-the-flags strategically as well in combat," at that I blushed, flattered. More than that I was being risen too high in Artemis' eyes. He glanced at me and assessed the depth of the words, getting them right. He was musing when Chiron looked at me questioningly. "Artemis, are you are all right?" I asked him, a little amused. I'd never seen him muse. But then, I'd only seen him for just 15 minutes.

"Yes," he replied. "Well, for now, you must stay at the Big House, for the Hermes cabin is far too crowded and we have no idea of your parent. Annabeth, kindly take him upstairs. Oh, and assign him camp clothes and a set of armor," Chiron instructed me. I took him past a couple of rooms and to a room up in the building. "Here's your room. Oh, and after you've washed up, please meet me on the porch," I told him and then left.

I was at the porch, talking to Melissa, my sister, who was on a quest in San Francisco, when he appeared from the back. He had apparently been waiting for the past five minutes and was wearing a Polo Ralph Lauren shirt, a Prada jeans and Nike shoes. Well, he'll need Achilles. He was looking good in those clothes, handsome even, a boyish charm that made him attractive. You have to control your emotions, Annabeth. You can't let him sweep you off your feet, I reminded myself.

"Oh, you're ready. Come, let's go to camp supplies," I said, then took him along with me. We entered the apparels section. I went to the boys' section and threw him a couple of Nike and GAPFits to try. He went in and I went & lingered by the girls' section, waiting. After a period of 15-20 minutes, Artemis was out of the dressing room, wearing his clothes and handing me over the ones I'd given neatly folded. We headed over to the shoes section and he was eyeing the Nike Gladiators with a wary eye. "Only the children of Ares buy those," I said, pointing to the Gladiators. "You'd want these," I said, and then took him to the set of black shoes kept on one side. "2 Size 37.5 European," I said, and a dryad rushed to get us those. She got the shoes and I signaled him to try them. He wore them and they fit. He was taking them off when I told him to stop and led to a door at the back. "Race me to the oak tree," I said, and without any other word, took off.

He ran, not realizing he could run at the speed he was at. He caught up with me but I beat him with a quick burst and touched the oak tree, panting. "Good. The shoes must fit well. These are Achilles, designed for making you a swift-footed demigod. You need to learn a lot in a short time, so we need to get you the best," I told him, and then told him all about the camp and its reconstruction after the Battle of Manhattan. He was gaping when he heard that it was all rebuilt from scratch in a week. Impressed. I took him to the billing counter and billed for his clothes.

"Why did you do that?" he asked, ego apparently hurt. "Artemis Fowl, you're not praeteus. Besides, I have 2 million dollars on this card on this card, no pressure. My mother was Anna Cromwell, remember?" I said, then realized what I'd let out. The fact that I had no parents. He did not know that I had a younger brother. The sympathy and hurt in his eyes was troubling. He meant nothing to me, and, I nothing to him, then why was _**he **_hurt by the fact that I had simply no parents and just a brother for immediate family? Just because he was a sufferer of the same circumstances, because he had nearby lost both, only that they were saved by their son. I, on the other hand, was helpless. It was a demigod in my father's ranks who told me that the real cause of that was Opal Koboi and Laistrygonian Giants. Mother was unable to bear it and so took her life. I saw her do that and still could not stop her. My brother,even though being small, was smart enough to comprehend what took place. I expected a heart-rending reaction by he was as stoic as stone. Soon I left for camp and now I was here, my brother's demise just 12 hours back, walking beside the world's smartest mortal _**and**_ a demigod to train, who would soon know the entire story of my life; not because I would tell him, but because he would do anything to find it.

And I would not stop him.


	4. A New Entrant and Return of Joy

A New Entrant and Return of Joy

Artemis

We walked back in silence. I was shaken by what she'd said. She had realized what she'd let out and was unwilling to talk through the rest of the way. The sun was setting and clouds gathered above. I wondered if my father was Zeus. He was the alpha and not only that, I looked like a child of Zeus from what I had heard. For the first time in my life, I felt forlorn and left-out. She took me to the armory and then told a son of Hephaestus to get me a set of "Grade 5 armor". He came out with a set of Greek armor and she told me to come along to get a weapon for myself. I looked around the place, and tried on several swords, but all felt alien to my hands. I saw a sword with a blue hilt and decided to try it. It was light and felt comfortable in my hands. It felt comfortable and homely in my hand, as if I held a Mont Blanc in my hand instead of a sword made of bronze. "I'll take it," I said, and Annabeth nodded. She was surveying the sword in detail. I looked at her. She carried a dagger with her. A strategic weapon, but I liked the sword more. We headed to the arena after collecting my articles and keeping everything save the sword, in my room. The time we reached, Annabeth drew out her.

"Get ready; & lesson number one, _**never ever let the enemy distract you." **_I etched that into my memory and began with basic sparring. She had lowered down to a level comfortable for me, but I was still losing pathetically. I had gone for a drink of water when a Hermes cabin mate threw a bucket of saltwater on me. When I should have been livid, I felt energized and more confident. She started again, only a notch higher. I sparred with an efficiency I too was not aware of. She noticed that and fought harder, and I too tried to cope up, surpassing her a couple of times. We were totally into it now, and she was moving like a professional fighter, making mostly strategic moves. I retaliated and we were in the thick of it when I had pinned her by the wall, the sword to her neck. Her hand unnoticed crept up to mine and she flung me off, making me regain my balance by a hair's breadth.

I lunged ahead with the sword and she ducked. She was distracting me, what with her hair open, making her look pretty and distractive. She was defending now. At least that's what I thought till she pinned me to the wall, taking my sword and placing it behind my neck, dagger pointing straight to my throat, barely touching it. She looked at me in a winning and confident manner.

"Forgot what I said? _**Never ever let the enemy distract you. **_You just gave me the opportunity. First, you fell for my trap, allowing me to distract you, then fool you by the pretense of defense," she said, and put her dagger parallel to my neck. We were barely 1 inch away, she smiling and I simply amazed by her fighting skills and looks when a voice interjected. "Artemis! What is this? You didn't tell ME!" It was Minerva's.

What was she doing here? Annabeth lowered the weapons when she heard her voice, stepped away, then glanced at her. "Minerva Paradizo? What are you doing here? You'd left camp. Then why are you back?" she said warily. "I heard from Butler. I was shocked to hear that you decided to stay here. How can you live in a camp for freaks?" she said, when Annabeth retorted. "You are one of the freaks, Paradizo, albeit an intelligent freak," she said. "We'll have our next sparring lesson tomorrow, Artemis. You were a tough opponent today. I'm impressed," she said and was exiting, but Minerva caught her by the wrist.

"Not so soon, Daughter of Athena. I would like to beat you first, then allow you to leave," she said. "Well, someone's forgetting their place. So, mortal _**blessed**_ by _**Minerva, **_you are forgetting something. You may be blessed, but I'm the goddess' daughter,her favorite, since no other child is blessed with what I am. _**I am her mirror image**_. Even _**you**_ cannot deny the fact that I am favored. None of the children of Athena since their inception have been blessed with her black hair. No one ever has been given that privilege," Annabeth said, and I looked at her and the other children of Athena. They were all blonde, while she was not. The first reason to think she was a child of Aphrodite, who were mostly dark haired. She _**was **_blessed. Another reason to choose her praeteus. But the price she had to pay for it was too big, for no gift came without a price.

"Well, I have news for you, sweetheart. I too am claimed, but by Apollo, the _**Roman **_Apollo. I am here as a praetor," Minerva said. "Is it? Then where is Reyna? Where is she?" Annabeth asked. "At camp. I am here to announce the-" she said, when a roar of joy cut her off in her sentence. Annabeth turned around, and her face lit up. "Percy! I don't believe this. You're back! Annabeth!" she said, then ran to her namesake sister Annabeth and hugged her tight.

"We did it. We have closed the Doors of Death," Annabeth Chase said. The blonde, along with the dark haired boy with her, who eerily resembled me to some extent, was in tatters. They were bleeding and looked half-dead. I looked at them, and the two looked at me curiously. "Annie, is this a new one who is a child of the Big Three?" Chase asked Annabeth. "I completely forgot. Sister, this is Artemis Fowl II," she said, and Chase's eyes lit up.

"Artemis Fowl? The one who beat _**you**_ at chess? Pleased I am to see him. Is he claimed yet?" she asked, and Annabeth shook her head. "He has a very strong aura. How he lived this long outside is simply miraculous," she said. "Annabeth, he is the one who saved our world from the psychotic pixie Opal Koboi," Annabeth told Chase who might be the only person apart from Annabeth to know that. She came and shook my hand. "I've heard a lot about you, Fowl. Thank you," she said, "and welcome to Camp Half-Blood, Artemis. I must say, you might be the only male saving your father to have Lady Artemis' name for their own. "Thank you," I answered and the other, the boy, stepped forward and introduced himself.

"I'm Perseus, a.k.a. Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon. Pleased to meet you. When did you arrive?" he asked me. "2 hours back," I replied. "Poor you. Annabeth's already behind your life so soon. Take care, okay? She's the only one to defeat me at my best in a fight, and I'm the _**best **_swordsman here," he said. I mentally shuddered, thinking what his best would be, and how Annabeth would have defeated him.

"It's lunch time. We better get some food into you," he told me, and led me to the dining area, which was composed of Ionic Greek columns. "Doric design? I prefer Ionic and Corinthian more," I said, and at that both the Annabeths lit up. "I do too! It's just that Annabeth here doesn't like them that much as she does Doric. Reminds her of mother," Annabeth said and Percy groaned. "Not again. Please, don't act like your American sister & my girlfriend here," he said, an arm around the blond Annabeth. "Hey! I like architecture doesn't mean I'm an egghead, Seaweed Brain," she said. "Egghead," he said, and they started bickering. I moved away to my Irish counterpart.

"Are they always bickering this way?" I asked her. "Quite a few times, but then, they do it in jest. Annie could never stand procrastination from an 'idiot' like Percy, but now, she doesn't care. That's what love does to people," Annabeth answered. "Come on; you must be hungry. We should have a quick lunch and then we'll go to the library." Hearing that, I was more than happy. Finally, something that matched my everyday work and activity schedule.

I headed towards a secluded table when Annabeth yanked me back. "What are you doing? That is Lady Artemis' cabin table. It is an honorary table, so only the Hunters can sit there. You know about Artemis, do you not, _**Artemis**_?" she said. She took me to a table where Chiron, she and Dionysius, along with Minerva were sitting. "Come, sit down," she said, and a chair appeared along the table out of thin air. "Magic; it's in the air here," she said, looking at my dazed, stunned expression. Fairy magic was not like this. It was different. It could heal, not do _**everything. **_A plate of fat-free musket was kept in front of me. Feeling hungry, I took it on my plate, and started to eat, when Annabeth again interrupted.

"You're supposed to give a part of this as a sacrifice to your godly parent in the braziers there," she said & stood up to put some of hers in the Athena brazier. Not knowing where to go, I headed to hers' and offered some, hoping my godly parent would accept it. Please, whoever you are, claim me soon. Please, I prayed, hoping my prayer would be heard. We headed back and then began to eat. While Chiron and Annabeth were discussing Percy and the blond Annabeth's return, Minerva was looking at me from the side. She then whispered, "You do not belong here, Artemis. You belong with us, the Romans." Annabeth overheard this and replied,

"Recruiting more soldiers for your cohorts? I'm sure he's worth more than a legionnaire. Besides, you don't recruit, I feel you _**buy**_, seeing the way you all are branded, and what you have done to Percy, by burning your insignia on his shoulder. I won't let you brand one of us, after all, we cannot be owned, _**praetor**_." Minerva was red and Annabeth was angry.

"Branding?" I asked. "Look at her shoulder," she said, and I saw the worst form of enslavement. A wreath of olive leaves, with the letters 'SPQR' in the center were branded on her shoulder, and Percy too had the same on his shoulder, albeit with two horizontal parallel lines along it. A praetor, that's what he had been. A single line, centurion, 2 was a praetor. I was on Annabeth's side on the issue. They meant to imply that they _**owned**_ their campers. Camp Half Blood did no such thing of that sort, which gave me another reason to like this place. A place where I was not enslaved, compared to my Roman counterpart. She asked me why I was not eating, which is when I realized that my plate was untouched. I realized how hungry I was and fell hungrily on my food. We ate in silence and then when we had finished, we went to the library, which was located in the Athena cabin.

We entered the quiet cabin, which I took an immediate liking to. I was positive that my parent was Athena since I'd become so in tune with the other Athenians in a matter of minutes, I felt I knew them for years. We sat down at one of the tables Annabeth had an affinity to, having used it till she turned interim praetor, she told me. The cabin was comforting and I'd begun to like it, but it did not feel like I had come to the right place. We were reading up on Virgil's Aenead and were enjoying a quiet conversation when the boy named Malcolm turned up. "I was told by Chiron that all campers, especially you two are called for an announcement. Please be quick," he said, then left. "What are _**we **_waiting for?" she said, then got up and headed for the dining hall.

It was evening, and the stars had just come up, a fire was burning for the barbecue and the tables ready. I looked around to see the entire camp gathered around. There were more demigods than I could've ever imagined. Chiron started, and I was in shock after what he said.

Annabeth

We walked back in silence. I couldn't believe I had let it out. The sun was setting and clouds gathered above. I wondered if mother was watching, and what she was making out of it. For the first time in my life, I felt forlorn and left-out. Niall's death shook me to my core. The sole reason why I was at the practice arena at 7 in the morning was that I wanted to let out the emotions buried in me. I remember those words:

_**"Daughter of Athena, you will pay by what you value most."**_

I had been told these very words by Lady Hera a year back, when I'd apparently insulted her by calling her a goddess of little substance as all she could offer as a reward for my hardwork was immortality, and that was a gift any god could give me. I said that I was sorry to say it, but to me, a blessing by any god mattered more than immortality by even the queen of the goddesses. She got aggravated and gave me the curse. At first I shunned it, thinking she would take away all the posessions of mine, then thought she would take my intelligence, a thing I was more than proud of. I finally realised the true meaning. It meant that she would take my family away, the only thing I placed on the top, above all I ever had. First my father, then my mother and it was Niall now. Well, she had exacted her payment. There was none she could take now, for she'd taken all I ever needed, all I ever had. What else was left? The camp? She couldn't take that.

I took him to the armory and told Damon to fetch a "Grade 5 armor" set for Artemis. He rushed off and got one, suiting his needs & after a little checking, we went to the weapons section. He looked around, then settled for a sword that looked apt for a son of Poseidon. Queer that he settled for that one. After that, we went to the arena without a second thought, I drew my dagger and prepared for sparring with a novice. At first he was pathetic, but afterwards he fought with such efficiency that it was hard to believe he was struggling to pick up just a sword so light.

We were totally into it now, and he was moving like a professional fighter, making mostly strategic moves. I retaliated and we were in the thick of it when I was pinned by the wall, the sword to my neck. My hand unnoticed crept up to his and I flung him off, making him regain his balance by a hair's breadth.

He lunged ahead with the sword and I ducked. I was distracting him. He thought I was defending till I pinned him to the wall, taking his sword and placing it behind his neck, dagger pointing straight to his throat, barely touching it. I looked at him in a winning and confident manner, a smirk on my face.

"Forgot what I said? _**Never ever let the enemy distract you. **_You just gave me the opportunity. First, you fell for my trap, allowing me to distract you, then fool you by the pretense of defense," I said, and put my dagger parallel to his neck. We were barely 1 inch away when a voice interjected. "Artemis! What is this? You didn't tell ME!" It was Minerva's.

What was she doing here? I lowered the weapons when I heard her voice, stepped away, then glanced at her. "Minerva Paradizo? What are you doing here? You'd left camp. Then why are you back?" I said warily. "I heard from Butler. I was shocked to hear that you decided to stay here. How can you live in a camp for freaks?" she said, when I retorted. "You are one of the freaks, Paradizo, albeit an intelligent freak like I," I said. "We'll have our next sparring lesson tomorrow, Artemis. You were a tough opponent today. I'm impressed,"I said and was exiting, but Minerva caught me by the wrist.

"Not so soon, Daughter of Athena. I would like to beat you first, then allow you to leave," she said. "Well, someone's forgetting their place. So, mortal _**blessed**_ by _**Minerva, **_you are forgetting something. You may be blessed, but I'm the goddess' daughter, and her favorite, since no other child is blessed with what I am. _**I am her mirror image**_. Even _**you**_ cannot deny the fact that I am favored. None of the children of Athena since their inception have been blessed with her black hair. No one ever has been given that privilege," I said, and he, Artemis looked at me and the other children of Athena, looking for proof.

"Well, I have news for you, sweetheart. I too am claimed, but by Apollo, the _**Roman **_Apollo. I am here as a praetor," Minerva said. Praetor, she? No way! But then, didn't the Romans take her along? "Is it? Then where is Reyna? Where is she?" I asked. "At camp. I am here to announce the-" she said, when a roar of joy cut her off in her sentence. I turned around, and what I saw was the best thing in my life ever. "Percy! I don't believe this. You're back! Annabeth!" I said, then ran to my sister Annabeth and hugged her tight.

"We did it. We have closed the Doors of Death," she said. Percy had been looking at Artemis with utmost interest. "Annie, is this new one a child of the Big Three?" Annabeth asked."I completely forgot. This is Artemis Fowl II," she said, and Annabeth's eyes lit up. "That Irish boy? The one you keep musing about?" she whispered. I was too happy to see her back to react to this. Percy went ahead and gave his intro. to Artemis. Annabeth and Percy were playfully quarreling.

"Are they always bickering this way?" he asked me.

"Quite a few times, but then, they do it in jest. Annie could never stand procrastination from an 'idiot' like Percy, but now, she doesn't really care. That's what love does to people," I answered, thinking of my family. "Come on; you must be hungry. We should have a quick lunch and then we'll go to the library." We went for lunch, and Artemis had almost sat at the table of honour of Lady Artemis had I not yanked him back. He came and sat down at the table and began to eat, when I told him to take a part of his meal and burn in it one of the braziers save for Hera and Artemis'. He came to mine and put a part of his meal, apparently praying that his godly parent claimed & recognised him.

While Chiron and I were discussing Percy and Annabeth's return, Minerva was looking at Artemis from the side. She whispered to him, "You do not belong here, Artemis. You belong with us, the Romans." I overheard this and replied, angry, "Recruiting more soldiers for your cohorts? I'm sure he's worth more than a legionnaire. Besides, you don't recruit, I feel you _**buy**_, seeing the way you all are branded, and what you have done to Percy, burning your insignia on his shoulder. I won't let you brand one of us, after all, we can't be owned, _**praetor**_."I was livid at what they'd done to Percy. They'd branded him with their SPQR, as if he belonged to them. Finally he was back. To his original home.

I got up to go for the library and Artemis followed suit, Minerva's stare boring into my back. We were reading up on Virgil's Aenead and were enjoying a quiet conversation when Malcolm turned up. "I was told by Chiron that all campers, especially you two are called for an announcement. Please be quick," he said, then left. "What are _**we **_waiting for?" I said, then got up and headed for the dining hall.

It was evening, and the stars had just come up, a fire was burning for the barbecue and the tables ready. I looked around to see the entire camp gathered around. It had to be something important. I thought I was probably called along since they were wanting everybody to see it, probably Percabeth's return or something. What Chiron said left I and Artemis in shock.


	5. Praeteus' Down Memory Lane

Praeteus' Down Memory Lane

Artemis

No. D'Arviting No. It couldn't be.

I expected Chiron to make announce Jackson & Chase's return as the camp's praetors. But it was something unexpected.

"Campers, we are pleased to announce that our Percy and Annabeth are back with the camp and have closed the Doors of Death, saving us all once again," Chiron said, and the camp was in cheers and whoops.

"So, to give them a break, I wish to appoint new praetors for camp. Besides, Romans have sent an ambassador to us. Please welcome the Roman ambassador Minerva Paradizo in our midst," Chiron went on and put Minerva in the center of the circle & pulling us two in.

"Hello Greeks; I am Minerva Paradizo, daughter of Apollo and blessed by Lady Minerva, the praetor of Camp Jupiter." I looked at Annabeth, who was glaring daggers at the smirking girl. In normal circumstances, I would've probably negotiated this situation, but this wasn't normal circumstances and certainly _**not **_an everyday situation.

"Also, I would like to announce the new praetors of Camp Half-Blood, Annabeth Cromwell, Daughter of Athena and the new in our midst, Artemis Fowl, child of the Big Three," he said, and I was on the verge of a panic attack. Me, praetor? No, this must be a mistake on Chiron's part. I expected a correction but none came. He looked at me and Annabeth, who was astonished, and thrust us two forward to the campers. It was clear that I was not their choice, even though Annabeth was, gauging from the varying reactions. But most were astonished that another child of the Big Three did exist.

The gods in question here, Zeus, Poseidon and Hades, had taken an oath not to father any more children after WWII. And I was born in 1997. So the oath had been broken; again. Annabeth had told me that Percy and Nico di Angelo, a boy 2 years younger to me, along with Thalia were the children of the Big Three. And now I was an unwelcome addition to this already dangerous group of demigods. Thalia had a younger brother, Jason, who had been raised by the Romans, and that Nico, the son of Hades, had an elder sister, Bianca, who died in combat. "It was an unfortunate incident," she'd said. While Thalia and Jason had been fathered by Zeus by the same mother, just like Nico and Bianca had been by Hades, by the same mother, I was a fully different case. I heard some of the campers murmur.

"He may be a son of Zeus; I mean, look at the eyes. Blue, just like she has," one said, referring to Thalia, who was present with the Hunters. "Even the hair; jet black."

"Maybe Hades. I mean, look at the pallor. Deathly pale. He even has a vampiric and deathly look," said another.

"What if he's Poseidon's son?'The duo's triad he will complete', don't you remember? The triad of the siblings?" a child of Athena said. "I don't think so," another said. "I mean, he is the smartest mortal history has seen. He is blessed by her, and Athena will never bless a son of Poseidon, ever. They are rivals, arch rivals," she said.

So that is why all other gods were being taken in consideration when it came to my parent, save Poseidon. A person as smart as me could not be a child of Poseidon in the Big Three as I was a blessed one & that Athena had blessed me.

"Well, campers, we have the Romans & their legion arriving tomorrow, so disperse," Chiron said, and all the campers left. "So, praetor Artemis," Annabeth said, giving a nervous laugh. "Yes, praetor Annabeth," I said and laughed nervously. I was shaken by the day's events. The arrival, then Minerva's entry and the ultimate one: me being crowned praetor on Day 1. Life was great for Artemis Fowl.

Annabeth

We all gathered by the dining hall. The campers were all in a circle around Chiron, who was standing with Minerva and Nico, Annabeth, Percy, Jason, Piper, Frank, Hazel & Leo. I and Artemis stood next to Chiron, me expecting him to announce the return of Annabeth & Percy as the praetors. But he said something else.

"Campers, we are pleased to announce that our Percy and Annabeth are back with the camp and have closed the Doors of Death, saving us all once again," Chiron said, and the camp was in cheers and whoops." so, to give them a break, I wish to appoint new praetors for camp. Besides, Romans have sent an ambassador to us. Please welcome the Roman ambassador Minerva Paradizo in our midst," Chiron went on and put Minerva in the center of the circle & pulling us two in. "Hello Greeks; I am Minerva Paradizo, daughter of Apollo and blessed by Lady Minerva, the praetor of Camp Jupiter." She was smirking. Stupid, irritating child of Apollo. Chiron went on.

"I would also like to announce the new praetors of Camp Half-Blood, Annabeth Cromwell, Daughter of Athena and the new in our midst, Artemis Fowl, child of the Big Three," he said. Artemis and me as the praetors? No, this was a big mistake. He was just 12 hours old at camp. And I was just interim praetor; then why my permanency for the post? The campers were happy to get me for praetor, but were not happy with Artemis taking the post.

He was a newcomer, after all, and a lot had waited longer than him to get the post, which was barely a few months old. The concept of a praeteus had never been there before. Everyone wanted to lead Camp Half-Blood and most couldn't just stand a newbie come and take up the limelight. Some were interested, and these were a couple of sensible people. Chiron obviously would've made two of us as the praetors with a reason, and I sensed a huge reason behind this. Apart from that, Artemis was a son of the Big Three. That made him very, very dangerous and an asset to the camp. Each child of the Big Three was both a boon and curse to Camp Half-Blood. First Percy, then Thalia, then Nico, then Jason & now Artemis to join the already long and lethal list of half-bloods. He had to be trained to the highest grade of skills and utmost perfection. We quietly had our dinner & then left for our cabins. Artemis began heading for the Athena cabin when I stopped him. "Artemis, it will not be your interim cabin as decided before," I told him.

"Why? Just because I'm a child of the Big Three?" he asked.

"No; because you're praeteus now. You'll have to stay with us in the Big House now. I know you'd love to be with the Athenians and I would be more than glad, but we have to stay at our segregated residences," I replied.

"Fine," he said, and grudgingly came along. We reached his room, took his stuff and put it in the room opposite mine.

"Here you go," I said, putting down his things. "Good night. If you have dreams of any sort, feel free to talk to me, okay? I'm an expert at weird dreams."

"Sure," he said with a smile and I left. A lot of unexpected things had taken place today. First was his arrival, which came as a welcome surprise to me, and now his election as the praeteus. I sat down on my bed, musing about what would happen next. Maybe it's because Chiron has a quest planned for him. Feeling so tired and like a drained body, I lay down my head and slept off.

I woke up in the middle of the night, another one of my nightmares. I looked at my watch, which showed the time as 12:30 in the night. Feeling restless, I got up & headed for the Sound. When I was at the beach, I saw another figure sitting by the shore. At first I thought it was a camper out past curfew, but I went closer & saw that it was Artemis sitting alone. Those blue eyes were unmistakable.

"Annabeth, what are you doing here?" he asked. "Can't sleep," I said and sat down. What followed was a long conversation with 2 praeteus' down memory lane.

Artemis

Annabeth and I put my things in my room and she left. I sat and wondered why I was entrusted with something so big and important. I was barely 12 hours old and they'd made me the praeteus? Queer. I tried sleeping, and it came quicker than usual, but not for long. I had a nightmare in which I saw me and Annabeth stuck in a huge chasm. It was pitch dark and a gloating voice in the background.

"So the star-crossed lovers unite after all," it said. Annabeth was in chains of platinum, which did not break no matter how many times I tried with the sword. A cape was draped on her, singeing her long dark hair and clothes. On her head was a platinum crown. The chilling voice laughed.

"This is the price you pay when your parents grow too sure of their powers," it said. A crown was placed on my head by two spirits, but the time it touched my hair, it began burning me from inside. It felt like a poisonous fire in my veins. I tried to take it off, but it didn't move at all.

"The eternal Olympian rulers of Tartarus, this is what you two are; allies of the Olympians, who have now left their children to suffer for eternity. But they have had the decency to unite you two. At least you will not suffer in isolation," the voice said, and I woke up, hyperventilating. I walked down to the beach, sitting by the shore, the lapping waves calming my racing mind. I put an arm around my knees, quivering. The dream shook me to my core; it was horrific. How could something like this occur? But this was the world of the gods; anything could happen. If Percy and Annabeth could defeat the Titan gods and survive, then anything could occur. I heard the sound of footsteps on the beach and thought it was a couple of demigods sneaking out after curfew, but it was just a single person, and those grey eyes were unmistakable.

Annabeth

I wondered what brought Artemis here to the beach at this odd hour, and then cursed myself for my stupidity. Obviously it was a nightmare; he would've become restless and not wished to stay in his room, the same reason why I was there. I sat down beside him on the rocks, our figures illuminated by the moonlight. His pale face showed signs of worry, and when he saw me, I could see relief in those eyes. One always finds relief in friends.

"Having trouble sleeping?" I asked him. He nodded. "A nightmare, I suppose." He nodded again. "You should've come to me; I'm an expert at weird dreams."

"I felt I could deal with it alone. I didn't want anyone to worry about me," he replied.

"Well, you're fellow praeteus, and if there's anyone to be worried about you, it's me first." He gave a weak smile at that.

"I hope this won't end with you regretting your decision to ask me about it."

"By Hades' sake I won't."

"Very well," he said and then told me the entire nightmare, and I wasn't surprised. Being a child of the Big Three, it was natural for him to be visited by such dreams often. I too had vivid nightmares and mostly tried to push them out of my minds. It was no use to dwell on dreams for far too long. He looked at my face, expression of regret on it, as if he regretted telling me this. I had to tell him my story if we needed to understand each other well and co-ordinate. Well, that was not the only reason for me to ask him about this. I wanted to help him, because I considered him a friend and because he was someone like me; I didn't want to lose another one person who was anywhere close to my personality, who didn't make me feel isolated. He was someone I cherished. "Feeling better?" I asked him.

"Yes; far better," replied Artemis. "I guess I should've woken you up earlier."

"I was not asleep since an hour. You should've come to my room."

"Next time it happens, I promise I will."

"You'd better." He smiled.

"You sound like Holly," he said.

"Captain Short?" I asked him.

"Yes. She too acted like my agony aunt, and if there was someone who understood me well, it was her. She is like my other half, a sister I never had. I miss her."

"Oh. I believe you are very attached to her."

"Yes; like I told you, she's like my sister, and might be freaking out seeing that I just left for the USA like this."

"So no one except for your parents and bodyguard knows?"

"No one."

"Not even Foaly and Holly?"

"No; not even them. I should've informed them though."

"They deserve to know."

"They surely do."

"Does Foaly still wear his tinfoil hat?" I asked, remembering his tinfoil hat and how stupid he looked with it.

"He still does," Artemis said with a smile. "Still scared of the brain probe rays," we both said together exasperatedly, then softly laughed.

"You know my past well," he said.

"I know Foaly on personal terms. Not Captain Short."

"She's Major Short now."

"Is it? Well, I must congratulate her when I get the chance. She is a very deserving and nice person. It's a pity we do not have many such people in the world."

"Yes; gems like her are less; that's what makes them valuable."

"True; like you are. People like you are very rare, which is what makes you more valuable than diamonds and platinum. You're priceless, Artemis, and anyone having you as a part of their lives is a lucky person." I meant that from the bottom of my heart; he was priceless to me, for intellect, bravery and loyalty had no price.

"No one ever praised me like that. Thank you," he quietly said. "I think of you the same way; after all, bravery, willpower, intellect, loyalty and determination can't be gauged by value meters. They are priceless aspects of a personality, and you have them all. I can't put a value for Holly and you, and for all the people who mattered and still matter to me had at least one of these values. But you have them **_all._**How can you expect me to put a value for you?" he said, making me feel truly loved & cared for. If someone ever said something about me that touched my heart, it was this. People spoke about my skills and achievements; no one spoke of my values, of my characteristics and no one ever called me so valuable that they couldn't place one for me. Even my mother had compared me to Theseus and Odysseus and all the others like Annabeth, probably because she had seen too many of us in her immortal life. But we mortals had short lives and we came across certain people who stood out and made the difference for us. That was what made them special and made them that valuable to us. After the death of my family, I had many friends and siblings, but no one ever spoke about me this sincerely. Only Annabeth did, and she had been gone till now. In this short span of barely 18 hours of Artemis' arrival, I found an anchor in him, someone I could count on when all was lost.


End file.
